High efficiency fluid heater

Abstract

A high efficiency fluid heater used in conjunction with an infrared heater and the like. The heater circulating a fluid such as cold water in a flue housing through a scrubber section and a contact section greatly exposing the water to the heat of the heater and flue gases thereby increasing the efficiency of heating the fluid.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A high efficiency fluid heater for heating a fluid such as water and the like, the heater comprising: a flue housing having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having a flue gas outlet, the lower portion having an air inlet for receiving combustion air which is discharged upwardly;   an infrared heater mounted in the lower portion of the housing;   a scrubber section mounted in the upper portion of the housing, the scrubber section having a plurality of interconnected pipe coils disposed along the length of the upper housing, the pipe coils having fins disposed therearound for increasing the heat exchange of the air circulated therearound, the coils connected to a fluid inlet pipe at the top of the upper portion of the fluid housing for receiving the fluid to be heated therein and circulating the fluid downwardly therefrom, the coils connected to a connecting pipe at the bottom of the upper portion for discharging intermediate heated fluid therefrom;   a contact section mounted in the lower portion of the housing and in front of the infrared heater for receiving direct radiation therefrom, the contact section having a plurality of fluid passages therein for circulating fluids therethrough, the fluid passages connected to a connecting pipe at the bottom of the lower portion of the housing for receiving the intermediate heated fluid, the fluid passages connected to a discharge pipe at the top of the lower portion of the housing for discharging final heated fluid circulated upwardly in a concurrent flow direction to the rising air, the air inlet diposed below the contact section for heating the rising air by convection prior to the heated air being received through the scrubber section; and   a fluid pump connected to the fluid inlet pipe for circulating the fluid, under pressure, into the heater.   
     
     
       2. The heater as described in claim 1 wherein the fluid passages of the contact section are a plurality of vertical riser pipes, the riser pipes connected to an upper horizontal header and a lower horizontal header, the lower horizontal header connected to the connecting pipe, the upper horizontal header connected to the discharge pipe.